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OAS Secretary General Participated in the Presentation of the “Mesoamerica 2020 Initiative” for Conservation of the Region’s Biodiversity

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in cooperation with the missions of the United States and Mexico accredited to the hemispheric institution, today launched the “Mesoamerica 2020” Initiative during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Organization in Washington, DC.

The objective of the Initiative is to work with governmental and non-governmental organizations to strengthen the capacity of individuals and institutions throughout Mesoamerica to preserve species, ecosystems, and natural resources; to ensure a sustainable future by reducing unsustainable land use activities; to mitigate the impacts of extractive industries, and to reduce threats to highly endangered wildlife and plant species.

During the ceremony, the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, said that this initiative seeks to enable governments to invest in projects that contribute to “maintaining and restoring ecosystem integrity with a wise use of natural resources,” to help preserve natural resources “such as clean water and fertile soils,” and to “promote peaceful cooperation and foster regional economic growth and integration.”

The leader of the hemispheric institution called on governments and citizens to “develop strategies for land and water use” so they can “conserve biodiversity and sustain livelihoods in farming, forestry, and fisheries.”

The Director General of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor of the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) of Mexico, Pedro Carlos Álvarez-Icaza Longoria, recalled that “between 7% and 9% of the world’s biodiversity is found in Mesoamerica,” and thus, the countries of the area “have the great responsibility to take care of it for the future of humanity, as it is the region with the highest number of species per square meter in the world.”

Meanwhile, Bryan Arroyo, USFWS Director of International Relations, asserted that “the range of biodiversity in the region is amazing,” with “thousands of species and plants that only grow in that part of the planet. One of the challenges of the 21st Century,” he added, is “to work with citizens at the local level, giving them incentives, readiness and capacity to address the benefits of this diversity in a sustainable way.”

Isabel Gutiérrez-Montes of the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE, for its Spanish acronym) of Costa Rica said the institution she represents sees this initiative as “a clear opportunity to highlight and collect experiences, underscoring existing practices” that go hand in hand with the “welfare of biodiversity.”

Adrian Forsyth, Vice President of the Blue Moon Fund’s Programs, a foundation dedicated to the care of biodiversity worldwide, underscored the “urgent need to rebuild forests in Central America,” as this can have a “huge impact on the quantity and quality of water throughout the world.”

For his part, Thomas Lovejoy of the United Nations Foundation linked in his address the welfare of flora and fauna to the welfare of citizens, including from an economic viewpoint. He added that this initiative is a really important initiative as it seeks to preserve important resources at a turning point in the development of America.

The OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Sherry Tross, whose area is directly involved in this initiative, said that the large number of partners in this project “shows the commitment between all stakeholders,” which allows for “a shared vision of what is essential for the future of mankind.”

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-250/14